Ball Python heat Tempature?
I'm getting a 2-3 year old ball python what tempature should her cage be?
I LOVE snakes and dont want my first one to die
80 - 85 F (27 - 29 C) with a basking spot of around 88-90 F (32 C). Night temperature can fall to around 75 F (23 -24 C) as long as an area of 85 F is kept. Measure your temps with a digital verbs thermometer and use a thermostat to control your heating devices.
even though you are getting an elder snake when you get it home and get it set up and surrounded by its enclosure dont handle it or try to feed it for 7 -10 days.
to set up the vivarium for your snake use a bask spot lamp (it's by zoo med). put that on one side which keeps the vivarium around 85 - 90 F during the day and dont put any gentle of heating on the cool side of the tank...room temp is fine for that. leave the roast lamp on for 10 – 12 hours a day. also at night basically turn off the day lamp and the temp should drop around 70 - 75 at hours of darkness. put hides on both sides and leave their water on the cool side. use a substrate that can hold humidity resembling cypress mulch (forest floor) then just mist it several times a day (3) near a squirt bottle to keep the humidity up. the humidity should be around 60% when you mist it.
after your snakes new enclosure is set up after leave the snake alone for at least a week before handling it or feed it...this will keep your snake from stressing out.
when you feed your snake take it out of its work area and put it in a "feeding tub"...any appropiately sized palstic box will do (a plastic box like from wal mart or target). If the snake is an full-size you will need a decent sized plastic box...get one specifically short...not too tall (the size that could fit under your bed). drill holes along the sides at the top for airflow put the snake in and after the food in. after the snake has eaten provide it about 15 minutes to get its food down before putting it hindmost in its cage. dont handle the snake for approximately 24 hours after it eats. its just better all around to nurture a snake this way.
Answers: You should provide an overall hutch temperature of 80-85°F with a basking spot around90- 95°F. Night time temperature can drop to 75-80°F. A great way to monitor temps is to use a digital indoor/outdoor thermometer with a probe. Stick the thermometer to the inside of the hold on the cool end and place the probe on the warm extremity, and you'll have both sides covered at once.
There are several ways to go about heat the enclosure: undercage heating pads, terracotta heat emitters, basking bulbs (both regular daytime & red "night" bulbs) are just a few. With bake emitters & bulbs it is necessary to really keep an eye on the humidity within the storage area, especially if combined with a blind top, as both will dry the air quickly. Do not use hot rocks with snakes as they normally heat unevenly over too small of a surface area & can wreak serious burns.
If using light bulbs for heat, be sure that they are placed contained by such a way that the snake cannot contact any hot surfaces. Be sure to use a thermoregulator(thermostats, rheostats and/or timers) to allow for better control over the temperature.
Enclosures can be as simple or over-elaborate as one is capable of caring for. Remember that the more "stuff" you put in a hold, the more "stuff" you have to clean & disinfect on a regular basis. A place of escape should be provided, a half-log (available at pet stores), an empty cardboard box or upside-down opaque plastic container, both near an access doorway cut into one end, can also be used. The plastic is easily cleaned when necessary; the box can be tossed out when dirty and replaced with a new one.You will need to supply fresh water daily in a spill resistant dish huge enough for the entire snake to soak in.
Here is a great care sheet
http://www.ball-pythons.net/modules/Sect...
How can a snake be a pet ? A Cat or a Dog yes they can show love back but a snake ?
